Why is Kiruv Rechokim becoming much more challenging?

What do you mean “becoming”?

It is true that we have had, and continue to have, many successes in kiruv. If kiruv rechokim is perceived as being “no longer successful,” it might be because of two challenges.

The first is demographic. The population of non-Orthodox Jews in the United States is aging and becoming fewer in number. With an intermarriage rate of over 50%, and assuming that roughly 50% of those intermarriages are between a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother, a large portion of Americans who even identify as Jews are not halachically Jewish. Some kiruv professionals have told me that they need to gently and tactfully learn whether the person they are speaking to is actually Jewish, no matter how sincere the person seems, or how “Jewish-sounding” the name is. I know of several cases where individuals engaged with a kiruv organization, only to learn that they were not Jewish, and to have their “kiruv” process turn into one of geirus instead.

The other challenge is cultural. Americans, particularly those who went to public school and especially those who went to universities, are taught that all people are equal, that all religions are the same, that there are no absolute truths, and that anyone’s beliefs are just as valid as anyone else’s. If you say that 2+2=5, then 2+2=5, because you said so, and therefore it must be true for you. Add to the mix the belief that universalism is good, that tribalism is bad, and that Jewish tribalism is the worst of all. Modern liberal thought is diametrically opposed to Torah concepts such as schar v’onesh, am nivchar, etc., but this the mindset that the kiruv professional must confront.

All that said, we must give tremendous hakaras hatov to the kiruv professionals who make great personal sacrifices and persist with incredible dedication to draw our fellow Jews closer to Torah and mitzvos.

The 70s were the heyday for the American Kiruv movements for a few reasons that are no longer true

(1)Back then even secular American Jews had a very strong Jewish identity

(2) Back then there was more of a general turmoil and seeking in the world.

(3) Back then the truth of Torah M’Sinai was much more accepted by most Americans, Jew and non-Jew alike.

Over the past thirty years, however, the atheists have very become much more aggressive in the general America media and public life, which have become way more hostile to ALL religion (with the exception of Islam)

Hence the continual decline of American kiruv success

The above is only true about the US. In Israel, the BT rate is not really less today than it was twenty years ago

smerel,
(3) is patently not correct

Most people are not atheistrs, they are not relgious. there is a difference and unfortunatly many relgious people have been invovled in scandals they have not helped and give people a negative view of religion and religious people and leaders

There is such an anti religion bent to so much and so many in the media these days that it is harder to interest people in religion. In addition due to the terrible intermarriage rate, promoted in large part by the reform, conservative and OO, there are fewer actual Jews. A spiritual holocaust.

There is no truth to the reason that ZD is falsely presenting.

There was also a lot of survivors kids that were not frum after the war bur were very traditional, they would send there kids to hebrew school and the kids would have a connection to yidishkeit. As the generations went on, that connection to yidishkeit faded so now its harder to do kiruv.

I think that the success of the Kiruv movement has always been overstated — numbers wise. I think as we move further from Europe — there are more and more who have no connection at all to Judaism. I grew up in the 70s/80s everyone belonged to a Reform or Conservative synagogue. In my neighborhood — all Jewish kids had some connection. Without any connection — it is exponentially more difficult to forge a connection later. I totally disagree with those who say that being unaffiliated is better. (I know the arguments — but i dont think that they are accurate. I would bet — but i dont know — that there are many more people who were affiliated with the Conservative movement in any way — that became orthodox than those who had no affiliation at all).